https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Giving Lungs to Cities

In an ambitious overreach to address the issue of air quality in urban areas, the Haryana Government has started working on creating forests in Karnal and Panchkula. Calling these Oxy-Vans (oxygen forests), these will also be established in several other districts of the state.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Environmental issues have become a major concern in the bureaucratic corridors these days. And it’s not surprising that official machinery has been taking proactive steps to make a sustainable future for the people of the country. World Environment Day just passed by and on the occasion the Haryana government took a noble initiative with the state’s forest department to build Oxy-Van (oxygen forest) in two districts, Karnal and Panchkula, at the initial stage.

The foundation stone for these urban forests, one in Karnal and the other in Panchkula, was laid by the Chief Minister of Haryana Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar on 5 June. The initiative was taken in cognizance of the increasing vehicular and industrial pollution in urban areas which is causing the heat island effect and bad air quality

MAKING URBAN FORESTS

While speaking to Indian Masterminds, District Magistrate of Karnal Nishant Yadav said “Initially we were thinking of creating a project on the lines of urban forestry. For this we had identified an 80-acre landin the districtwhere we planned to create an urban forest. This forest would have been just like the lungs of the city. However, this limited approach was taken to the upper level and with the guidance of the CM, the forest department developed an idea of developing nine different forests for different purposes rather than having a single uniform forest.”

Proposed site plan of Oxy-Van in Karnal

The Oxy Van, Karnal will be created on the Old Badshahi Canal, also known as the Mughal Canal, on an area of 80 acres covering a total length of 4.2 Km. The Park, which will be built in nine different forests for different purposes, includes Chit Van (Forest of beauty), Paakhi Van (Forest of birds), Antriksh Van (Forest of zodiac plants), Tapo Van (Forest of meditation), Arogya Van (Healing/herbal forest), Neer Van (Forest of waterfalls), Rishi Van (Sapt Rishi) Panchvati (Five trees), Smaran Van (Forest of memories), Sugandh Suvaas/Sugandh Van and (Forest of fragrance).

THE PROJECT

Every forest among the nine will house different plants according to its purpose. Chitvan will contain ornamental and flowering plants flowering in different seasons like orchid tree (kachnar), Indian Laburnum (Amaltas), Pride of India, Red silk cotton tree (Seemal), Indian Coral, Sita Ashok, Java Cassia, Red Gulmohar, Golden Shower, Passion Flower, etc. Pakhi Van will house plants like Peepal, Banyan, Pilkhan, Neem etc. Antriksh Van will have luck boosting plants like Flame of the forest (Palash/Dhak), Jackfruit, Cluster fig (Gullar), Amla, Krishan Neel, Champa, Khair, etc, Bilwa, etc.

Site Plan

Arogya Vann will have healing medicinal plants like Tulsi, Ashwagandha, Neem, Aloe vera, Chebulic Myrobalan (Harad), Baheda, and Amla, etc. Sugandh Vatika will contain fragrant plants like Sugadhraj, Chameli, Night queen, Day king, Night blooming jasmine (Parijaat), Champa, Rose, Honey suckles, Passiflora etc. These plants can be identified by their peculiar fragrance and, therefore will be a boon for those who cannot see.

Besides, the park will also house an information centre and a souvenir shop where the information related to the park, its components will be available. One Amphitheatre will also be constructed where artists can perform for entertainment purposes. Light and sound show will be shown to the visitors covering various aspects of this Oxy Van.

ADVANTAGES

Mr. Yadav said, “This project is a year long project and it will be a gift for the people of Karnal. It will be a paradise for morning and evening walkers as a 4.2 km stretch will be developed where people can cover an 8 km long walking track. As there will be a variety of flowers in this park, people who are fond of flowers will also love it. Herbal/healing plants which are being planted Arogya Vann will also be very useful for the people.”

Mr. Nishant Yadav at the foundation ceremony

The total cost of the project is five crore rupees and it will be a joint venture of Haryana Forest Department, Govt. of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Municipal committee, Karnal.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Madhya Pradesh Logo IM
High Pay, Low Work: MP Govt Pays High Salaries to 21 SAS Officers Without Matching Responsibilities
PSU Banks
PSU Banks Retain Grip on ATM Transactions as Private Lenders Dominate Digital Space
Justice BR Gavai1
CJI BR Gavai: "Constitution is Supreme, Not Parliament" - Asserts Independence of Judiciary
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Uttarakhand: IAS Rohit Meena Returns from Study Leave, IAS Banshidhar Tiwari Gets Key Role in CM Office
Rajnath Singh
Peace & Prosperity cannot Co-exist with Terrorism says Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh at the SCO Meeting
NHPC_resized_2
NHPC Partners with JSW Energy to Secure 300 MW Solar-Wind Hybrid PPA
nmdc resized
NMDC Powers Tribal Healthcare Dreams with Fully-Funded Courses for Chhattisgarh Youth
Anurag Gupta Jharkhand
Centre, State Clash Over DGP Appointment: Jharkhand’s Anurag Gupta to Receive Provisional Pay Slip Amid Legal Row
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Madhya Pradesh Logo IM
High Pay, Low Work: MP Govt Pays High Salaries to 21 SAS Officers Without Matching Responsibilities
PSU Banks
PSU Banks Retain Grip on ATM Transactions as Private Lenders Dominate Digital Space
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT